Tag Archives: vegetarian

Hi Boys and Girls. The new and improved “Live Food Experience” is up and at a slightly different URL. I’ve migrated all the content over to the new site and that is where the new content will be posted… so come on over, change your bookmark and update your subscription.

Also on the new site is a free ebook that can be downloaded from the “store”. It’s called “Zen and the Art of Gadgeting”. It’s part memoir, part inspiration, part recipe book and part vanilla, lucuma swirl.

For those of you out there curious about opening young Thai coconuts, here’s a little how to video demonstrating the “finesse” technique. Other techniques include the “whacking”, “hacking”, “cracking” and “smacking”… none of which are featured during this video. The Live Food Experience does not take any responsibility for those who sustain injuries while attempting to open a coconut. If attempting to open a coconut for the first time be sure to use a quality sharp knife. Coconuts eat cheap knives for breakfast. Also be sure to have some one standing by un case of a coco-mishap.

If you have a Young Thai Coconut Experience you wish to share, be sure to post it in the comments below.

Sprouted buckwheat is a really magical food. Most people know buckwheat in terms of buckwheat pancakes but sprouted buckwheat ain’t the same thing. Buckwheat isn’t even a grain like the name “wheat” might imply. It’s a “achene” which is a technical term you can investigate. For simplicity sake let’s just call it a seed that is unrelated to wheat therefore having no gluten. Buckwheat flour used for baking and raw buckwheat groats are unsprouted and contain enzyme inhibitors which need to cooked or sprouted to deactivate. Newbie rawfooders may initially have a bad experience working with buckwheat if they don’t sprout it. Buckwheat needs to be thoroughly rinsed, soaked and sprouted. Check out this post regarding sprouting buckwheat.

Once you have sprouted the buckwheat you have a very versatile ingredient for food prep. Don’t be shy when sprouting buckwheat. The sprouted groats can be dehydrated and stored for later use in recipes.

sprouted buckwheat

Buckwheat can have a dominant flavor and texture if not used in the right proportions. When I use it in granola I typically add 3 times the amount of nuts or seeds to buckwheat in the recipe. You’ll know if you have too much buckwheat in a recipe because it will taste bland and have a chalky feel in the mouth.

Buckwheat is a warming food which makes it a great breakfast option during cold months. It is high in calcium and also a great source of rutin which helps to strengthen capillaries. If you bruise easily or are wanting to rid yourself of varicose veins, add buckwheat to your diet.

Here’s a quick and easy buckwheat recipe. I used apple for this version but banana or pear can easily be substituted. I added hemp oil to give the porridge the satisfying effect when fats are added to a recipe. You can add a thick nut or seed mylk instead or a nut butter. Have fun with the recipe and adapt it to your liking.

Sprouted Buckwheat Apple Porridge

¼ C sprouted buckwheat

3 T shredded coconut

1 apple – cut up

2 T gojis or raisins – mix in at end

1 T maple syrup, honey or agave

1 T sweet cinnamon or 1 t cinnamon

1 T mesquite

1 T hemp oil

1 t maca

pinch of Himalayan salt

Combine in all ingredients except for raisins/gojis in food processor.

Recently I was inspired to submit an entry into the “One Minute to Save the World” contest. It’s a video contest where contestant have the opportunity to submit a 1 minute video that shares there message on how to save the world. I chose the topic of “going vegan” as an easy way to create paradise on earth. The medium I chose was in the form of a rap tune. Gary Pfeffer used his video and composition skills to put together a soundtrack and the video for the project.

I’ll tell you upfront that I’m no singer and although I sang on this video I was not willing to do it in front of the camera. This created a unique situation… who was going to be on the video? With the help of my friend Whitney the solution manifested in the form of puppets. With a visit to Jo-Ann Fabrics and a little guidance I threw together some cool puppets to share this vegan message.

Puppet Master

Gary pulled out all the stops in creating this video, even going so far as to purchase a couple fast food burgers to drop into the toilet in the slow-mo finale of the video. This might not seem like a big deal but for a raw vegan the idea of standing in line at a fast food restaurant and ordering a burger is enough to turn my stomach… though it was only 5 years ago that I was chowing 1/4 pounders and dying from the inside out.

To bring it home we added the seductive appeal of eating naturally for the health of the planet by including a cameo appearance from the Raw Dessert Goddess, Heathy Pace… those grapes never had it so good.

On the set of "Be the Change" music video

So how can refining your dietary choices change the planet? Can reducing your consumption of animal based products really save the planet? Once you look at the facts the answer is an unequivocal “YES”! Here’s another bonus; consuming less animal products and increasing your intake of whole foods and organic fruits and vegetables will dramatically change your health for the better… who needs universal healthcare if everyone is healthy? Here’s a few facts for you to digest while considering what impact your personal choices on the rest of the world:

Greetings from my favorite city in the States… Chicago. Last week I shared the drive with my parents from Jacksonville, FL all the way up the Chicago. Since arriving the weather has been amazing and I’ve had some super cool experiences. On Friday I dined at Cousin’s Incredible Vitality with my dad and some good friends. I loved the eggplant antipasta so much that I came back the next day for some more. This past Saturday I attended the dedication of the first certified organic rooftop farm in the US. It was on the roof of Uncommon Ground Cafe on the Northside of Chicago. Mayor Richard M. Daley gave a nice speech and cut the green ribbon. That evening I prepared dinner for a group of friends… the menu included guacamole a la Angie, marinaded portabellos, kelp noodles with an orange ginger almond sauce and pesto bell pepper boats.